An Introduction to Texture Management (using DaVinci Resolve)

Part 1: What is texture and how do you control it? 

Have you ever heard colorists talk about texture? Or texture management? Maybe they were talking about it as it relates to beauty work? Or maybe in relation to film print emulation? But do you have a clear, well-defined understanding of the term ‘texture management’?

In other words:

• How do we define textures in video?
• What are the goals of texture manipulation?
• What does texture management actually do to our images at the pixel level when we soften or (particularly) sharpen them?  
• Finally, can you talk and think about texture management with precision such that you can explain it to your clients?

Learning how to see, think, and communicate about texture

Of all the tasks and workflows that encompass the craft of color correction & grading, texture work is, in my experience, one of the least understood (and, generally, less discussed). That’s not surprising to me:

• Texture doesn’t really deal with hues, saturation, luma, or overall contrast.
• Texture stands apart from the current revolution in color managed workflows with the technical lingo of color spaces, transfers functions, and LUTs.
• Texture isn’t discussed in High Dynamic Range workflows.
• Texture never shows up on a QC report from a network or streaming service (except, maybe, in the context of soft focus).